Cool things:
The first story, "Half a Mind to Save the World," is about what happens when a tumor located on the brain of a young boy is found to contain a complete (albeit fast-moving) civilization, and the Justice League are shrunk down and go in to try to convince the tiny society to stop their destructive ways (i.e. "strip mining" the brain itself). Needless to say they are not inclined to change, and unfortunately in this strange world the League's powere don't work as usual, and they're tossed in jail:
Of course they're eventually helped out by the one forward-thinking organism in the brain city, and attempt to save the rest. The cool thing here, though, is the devotion the League has to the preservation of life in whatever form they encounter it. I think I've commented on it before--how in most comics it may be presumed (or may not) but is rarely commented on unless someone kills someone--only noted in its absence. And I know that the overstating can be annoying for adult readers--but for kids who maybe haven't thought about it much, it's not. It's one of the things that makes me consider the JLA books a good read for my daughters. (If they wanted to read them. So far, not. It may be that the TPBs are intimidating, because the eleven-year-old does like the JLA single issues she has, although I'm sure it has nothing to do with any ethical consideration.)
Speaking of ethical considerations, in the main story it turns out that the reason Ra's al Ghul has all the information at hand to conquer the JLA is that he got it from Batman. Specifically, his daughter Talia (who I gather from having read Batman comics in the past has some kind of strange relationship with Batman--which I suppose would be par for the course for Batman) broke into the JLA Watchtower and the Batcave and stole it for him. At the end of the book, though, the issue at hand has to do with why Batman was making these plans in the first place. Contingency plans, he says, in case the JLA members are taken over by any of the various mind-controlling entities who live in the DC Universe. The problem being that he didn't let anyone know he had gathered this information, and the lack of trust the group felt he showed them, and the lack of trust they now felt for him. In the end, they take a vote and throw him out, Superman casting the deciding vote. (So they do vote sometimes...) I think that as ethical dilemmas go this one is a little complex for young children, although the issue of your friends letting you know when something is going on that could affect you is easily understood, but it does point to the group's ongoing concern with ethical issues.
Things that made me laugh:
Why is it that Talia al Ghul--who as far as I know is a regular human being (no bullet-proof skin or anything like that)--although she goes into potential battle wearing an admirably full-coverage jumpsuit (apparently a size or two too small, but you can't have everything), she then unzips it to the point where any opponent has easy access to several vital organs?
Aha! Now I see--it's a family tradition! Dear old dad has the same sartorial tendencies:
Questions:
So was this:
ever addressed again? Just curious. Or nosy. One of the two.
(Why yes, I am having way too much fun with the scanner since I figured out how to get it to work reliably! :))
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